Is My College Student Covered by My Home Insurance?

In general, property insurance for college students is determined by where your student is living.

7/19/2012

Time flies. First it was preschool and now fast forward to high school graduation and freshman college orientation. The transition can be difficult, but with the right information and preparation, you can send your student off prepared for any damage or theft of his or her material goods.

In general, property insurance for college students is determined by where your student is living.
If your dependent lives in a dorm, their possessions are typically covered under your homeowners insurance. However, investigate the details, as some homeowners insurance policies limit the amount of coverage for a student’s goods. Take pictures and add up the value of your student’s belongings, including stereos, computers, phones, and gaming systems, before they leave home. Review these amounts with your insurance company to ensure you do not need to purchase additional coverage.

If your child moves to an off-campus apartment, you should take out a separate renter’s insurance policy to safeguard coverage. Their belongings are not covered under your homeowners policy in this setting.

Prepare for potential wrongdoing and keep in mind that colleges and universities are not responsible for damage or theft of student assets, even if the incident happens on campus.

Outside of property coverage, an overlooked situation is liability. What if your child unintentionally injured another student? Perhaps during an intramural sports activity? Alternatively, even in the cafeteria line? Normally, your homeowners insurance will provide coverage for these incidents up to the limit of your policy.

“The information on this site is general in nature. Any description of coverage is necessarily simplified. Whether a particular loss is covered depends on the specific facts and the provisions, exclusions and limits of the actual policy. Nothing on this site alters the terms or conditions of any policies, nor does it provide any guarantees. You should read your specific policy for a complete description of coverage.”

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Did you know 60% of all cybercrime is directed at small businesses? In fact, According to the National Cyber Security Alliance, one in five small businesses falls victim to cybercrime each year. And of those, some 60 percent go out of business within six months after an attack.